Zara McDermott‘s relationship with Sam Thompson was doomed from the moment she cheated on him five years ago with a music executive while appearing on the X Factor, MailOnline can reveal. 

Sources close to the couple say Sam’s family never quite forgave Zara following her fling with music boss Brahim Fourad in 2019, despite their attempts to welcome her back into the fold.

The Made in Chelsea star’s protective sister Louise, 34, was the most vocal in her disapproval of Zara and questioned her brother on why he took her back, but agreed, for his sake, to give her a second chance.

But the couple’s relationship failed to last the distance – and they have now officially cut ties just over five years on from her affair.

The news came as no surprise to sources close to the reality stars who believed they did well to last as long as they had following Zara’s infidelity.

A friend told MailOnline: ‘Zara and Sam’s relationship just never had felt like it was heading for the long haul.

‘They never really recovered from Zara’s cheating, most couples would have struggled lasting for as long as they did afterwards.

‘Zara had some big making up to do, especially with Louise, she really wasn’t happy when Sam took her back.

Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott have split up after five years together and spent New Year’s Eve separately 

Zara pictured during one of the rehearsals for the X Factor in November 2019 

The couple have ended their five-year relationship, which has seen them travel and build a home together, after growing apart

‘But she managed to make it work and they had some great times together again, but it just felt like it was never going to be truly serious.

‘They were delaying the inevitable for several months as they had drifted apart and their lives had become very different.’

Another friend described Zara and Sam as an ‘odd pairing’ and said they didn’t think the pair were that well suited.

The source told MailOnline: ‘Sam’s a bit of a man child with bundles of energy and Zara’s a fashion girl at heart, she’s quite mature behind all the silliness you see in their TikTok videos.

‘She’s only 28 but has an old head on young shoulders.

‘Her maturity was helpful when dealing with Sam’s low moments which often occurred due to his mental health battles. She really understood how they affected him.’

Sam, 32, initially ended his relationship with Zara in wake of her cheating in September 2019.

They had been dating for 16 months when he discovered what happened between the former Love Island star and Fouradi, who had previously worked for Simon Cowell as an A&R director for Syco.

Zara was appearing on the celebrity X Factor as part of a group comprised of ex-Love Island contestants on the one-off ITV series, eventually won by former Towie star Megan McKenna.

Zara addressed her infidelity in an Instagram post, writing: ‘A huge mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face this head on’

The pair endured a rocky period quite early on in their relationship when Zara admitted she had cheated on Sam in 2019, the same year they began dating

Zara had a close friendship with Sam’s sister Louise (right) but they were seen together less frequently in recent months

Zara was unable to fly out to greet Sam on the bridge after he won I’m A Celebrity in 2023 as she was still taking part in Strictly Come Dancing at the time

Read More

Speaking to Jamie Laing about her infidelity while appearing on Made In Chelsea in October 2022, Zara said: ‘When it happened I genuinely thought that me and Sam were going to break up, inevitably. I just thought we were hanging on by a tiny thread and we’re going to break up.’

Weeks earlier, Zara issued a grovelling apology once her affair came to light nearly a year after she appeared on the show.

Taking to Instagram Stories, she wrote: ‘A huge mistake I made a year ago has recently come to light and I want to face this head on. I don’t condone being unfaithful and I made a huge mistake at a time in my life where I was hugely selfish and immature.

She continued: ‘I believe I have learnt so much from my mistake. I want to apologise to my Sam for everything I have put him through, for the pain, the embarrassment, the anger and the hurt. All I want to do is make this right and I think the least he deserves is me being honest with myself and all of you. I love you Sam. Forever x’.’

In November 2020, Sam took Zara back following her heartfelt apologies and in January 2021, the newly back-together couple defied coronavirus rules by flying off to the Maldives and later moved inside together in Sam’s Chelsea home.

Work-wise, the pair have seen their respective careers boom since they’ve been back together, which pals believe was another major factor why they stayed together for so long.

Sam was crowned King of the Jungle in 2023 after winning I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Zara became the first Love Island star to bag a spot on Strictly Come Dancing the same year.

She finished 10th but her time on the show was later overshadowed by her partner Graziano Di Prima, 30,, who was kicked off the series for verbally and physically abusing Zara after she made a complaint over his behaviour.

Zara, who has also made several documentaries for the BBC, joined Sam in the audience for this year’s series where they supported their close friend Pete Wicks, 37.

The former E4 star was filmed taking shots and celebrating the New Year with a group of friends at Kensington Roof Gardens

However, just weeks after they were spotted together in the audience, the couple finally called time on their romance having spent New Year apart.

Sam celebrated New Year’s Eve by partying with his ex-Made In Chelsea co-stars Reza Amiri-Garroussi, 36, and Josh Patterson, 34, at London’s Kensington Roof Gardens, downing shots, while Zara spent the evening at home with her cats.

They also had separate Christmases after Sam volunteered for a charity and Zara stayed with her close family in Upminster, Essex.

A source close to the couple told MailOnline: ‘Sam and Zara have ended their relationship. It’s been an incredibly difficult decision for them to part ways, they still care and have a lot of love for each other.

‘But after a tough year of working hard at their romance, they have split and will be focusing on their individual careers going forward into 2025.

‘There has been no scandal or fallout between them, it’s just the result of a difficult year, where they both had to spend a lot of time focused on their own projects.’